Today, at 1.00 p.m., just in front of the French Embassy in Armenia a rally of the Young Conservatives Union of Armenia was held in defense of the French citizen Sargis Hatspanian, suffering from political persecution in Armenia. After the rally the participants sent a letter to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

In the letter the Union of Young Conservatives say that Mr. Hatspanian made a worthy contribution to strengthening the independence and development of democracy in Armenia. The letter reads: "Appreciating mediation efforts of your country aimed at strengthening democracy in Armenia, including those in the issue of general amnesty for political prisoners, we express our indignation for indifference of the France towards Sargis Hatspanian, who is persecuted on political grounds."

Union of Young Conservatives of Armenia declares that nonintervention of the President Sarkozy in the issue of release of Sargis Hatspanian will be further considered as a manifestation of the apparent support of "illegitimate government" of Armenia, which could tarnish the good name of France in the eyes of the Armenian youth, a press release of Young Conservatives Union writes.